Winning Game 1 has given the Sixers a boost of confidence, which Samuel Dalembert thinks is a good thing.

“It’s a little edge on them,” he said. “Now, everyone kind of feels a little more loose. At the start of the game, the young guys were a little hesitant and not able to play their game the way they’re capable of playing. At the end of the game, Louis Williams was playing the way he’s capable. Now, winning the first game, the pressure is on them a little bit. We’re still the underdogs so we’re going to have to come in and play the way we’re capable.”

The Sixers had better believe that they’re the underdogs. They might have stunned the Pistons, but you need four wins to take a series.

If the Sixers have learned nothing this season it should have been that they can’t relax at all if they want a chance to win. And a loosey-goosey attitude against the Pistons isn’t a good idea.

“We’ll be all right,” Reggie Evans said. “We’re real humble. We’re real humble guys. We’re not gonna get too dramatic. We’re not in Philly where we got all the Philly fans, ‘Hey, hey, hey, you did good, you did good. We appreciate you.’ We’re still in Detroit, still gonna have a lot of people who are gonna get nasty. I think we’ll be all right, but at the same time it’s gonna be tough.”

Andre Miller knows just tough. Asked what it said that the Sixers have won three straight games against the Pistons dating back to the regular season.

“It doesn’t say anything because they’re gonna come out tougher and stronger,” he said. “You saw at the end of the game when they kind of were able to get to the free-throw line and make plays down the stretch. We definitely have to be ready for how they’re gonna come out and play.”

The Pistons, many of whom claimed to have slept little Sunday night, aren’t discouraged. They also had what Tayshaun Prince said was a good practice on Tuesday.

Rip Hamilton was optimistic.

“We’re still upbeat,” he said. “We missed out on an opportunity (Sunday). We had a good lead, they kept fighting, they got a win. We’ve just got to keep them down. We can’t play to the score. e’ve just got to stay aggressive.”